Glatfelter Completes Acquisition of Dresden Papier GmbH

YORK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Glatfelter (NYS: GLT) announced today that it completed the previously announced acquisition of Dresden Papier GmbH from Fortress Paper Ltd. (TSE: FTP) for €160 million (U.S. $210 million) subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment.

Dresden Papier, based in Heidenau (near Dresden), Germany, is the leading global supplier of nonwoven wallpaper base materials. Nonwoven wallpaper offers superior performance and characteristics such as dry strip-ability, higher tear resistance, and no material shrinkage or expansion when wet. As a result, nonwovens are increasingly the product of choice for wallpaper installers and design professionals in Europe, with significant growth potential in Asia.

"This acquisition adds another industry-leading nonwovens product line to our Composite Fibers business and we believe the global nonwoven wallpaper market will continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of at least 10 percent," said Dante C. Parrini, chairman and chief executive officer. "This acquisition will also provide additional operational leverage and growth opportunities for Glatfelter globally, particularly in large markets such as Russia and China, and other developing markets in eastern Europe and Asia."

Glatfelter financed the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings under its existing revolving credit agreement. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings by approximately $0.25 per share on an annualized basis.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements included in this press release which pertain to future financial and business matters are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company uses words such as "anticipates", "believes", "expects", "future", "intends", and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable or uncontrollable factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to: any material adverse changes in the business of Dresden Papier; the Company's ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives relating to the acquisition, including any expected synergies; the Company's ability to successfully integrate Dresden Papier and achieve the expected results of the acquisition, including, without limitation, the acquisition being accretive; changes in industry, business, market, political and economic conditions in the U.S. and other countries in which it does business, demand for or pricing of its products, changes in tax legislation, governmental laws, regulations and policies, initiatives of regulatory authorities, technological changes and innovations, market growth rates and cost reduction initiatives. In light of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, the forward-looking matters discussed in this press release may not occur and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Glatfelter undertakes no obligation, and does not intend, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release. More information about these factors is contained in Glatfelter's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.glatfelter.com.

About Glatfelter

Headquartered in York, PA, Glatfelter is a global manufacturer of specialty papers and fiber-based engineered materials, offering over a century of experience, technical expertise and world-class service. U.S. operations include facilities in Spring Grove, PA and Chillicothe and Fremont, OH. International operations include facilities in Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Philippines, a representative office in China and a sales and distribution office in Russia. Glatfelter's sales approximate $1.7 billion annually and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GLT. Additional information may be found at www.glatfelter.com.